Cranberry separator



Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,302

D, E. APPLEGATE CRANBERRY sEPAaA'roR Filed Deo. 5, 1927 6 Sheets-Shoot 2 .im 29, 1929.v

DQ E. APPLEGATE cnAnivznnY swuuvx'ogl me@ vec. 5. 1927 5: Smets-Sheet 3 Jan. 29, 192g.

D. E. A'PPLEGATE GRANBERRY SEPARTOR Filed Deo. 5. 1927 6 Sheep-Sheet 4 Jan. 29, 1929.

6l Sheets-Shoot 5 Filed DBG. 3. 1927 D. om

2 9 l ow 2 m .J

' QRANBERRY ssPAnATon 'Filed Dem. 3, 1927. 6 Sheets-.Shoot A 3.

Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

UNITED STATES DAVID E. APPLEGATE, OF, CHATSWORTH, NEW JERSEY.

GRANBERRY sErAnAroR.

Application filed December 3,- 192'?. Serial No. 237,432.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a cranberry separator, and

has for its primary object to provide means for readily and quickly sorting or separating small, soft, rotten or low-grade berries from theY better grade or good ones.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in adevice of this character, a separator of endless belts, alternate ones of which travel in opposite directions and zig-Zag lanes or courses to guide the berries cross-wise of the belts, means to sort the berries While passing. over the belts, and means to remove the unsound berries from certain lanes or courses after Which they Will be carried to a point o-f disposal by the belts. n

A further object of my invention is to provide a machineV into Which the cranberries may be fed in large quantities and then automatically distributed to a number of lanes or courses and through which they move by belts operating in opposite directions during which time the unsound berries are sorted from the good ones and fed to a point of disposalA While said good berries are propelled forward-ly to another point of disposal as to a packing table..

A still further object of my invention is to provide in a cranberry picker, a unique arrangement for sorting unsound berries from good ones, Which consists particularly of a number of belts running under lanes or courses arranged in pairs, the lanes of each pair being in communication or What I prefer to term, being separated from each other by a partial barrier so that the unsound berries Will be moved or forced from one lane to the other of the pair due to the action of the belts and means to cause the unsound.

berries to be directed to one point of disposal and the good berries to another point of disposal.v

TWith these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

ln order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the saine, I will describe: its construction in detail., referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings e forming a partof this application, in Which:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation. of a cranberry' sorter` fo-nstructed in. accordance with "my 'leven ti on Fig. 2, is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3, is an end view of the same on a slightly enlarged scale.

Fig. 4, is an enlarged fragmentary plan view to more plainly illustrate Yconstructional details conventionally shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5, is a section on the line 5 5- of Fig. 4. i

Fig. 6, isy a section on the line 66A of F'g. 4.

Fig. 7, is a further enlarged fragmentary plan vievv of the feed end and the distributors of the machine.

Fig. 8, is an enlarged sectional vieuT on the line 8`-8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9, is an enlarged sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4, With the belt operating mechanism shoWn in elevation.

Fig. 10, is an enlarged sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 15 represents a suitable frame including uprights 16 to Which are suitably fastened the side pieces`17 and to said sides pieces are connected the tops 18. I

As herein illustrated, the frame of themachine is made up of a number of units, each unit including the uprights, sides anda top, but it is to be: fully understood that any other construction could be used. v

The units thus provided lare somewhat like tables and are arranged sideby side in a unitary structure With each succeeding unit top or table in a lovver plane than the preceding one. y

At each end of each unit is supported a cross piece 19 on the endmost uprights of each unit, and at other places, if desirable or necessary, according to the length of thel units and on said cross pieces are mounted stationary beams 20, two of Which are assovciatedv With each unit fora purpose to be presently described.

`The first unit or table is to be known as the distributing table over the surface of which runs one portion of an endless belt 21 in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and 4, and in order to propel this belt, it is mounted upon pulleys 22, 22', one' at eachv end of the machine, and at the proper elevation, each pulley being mounted upon a shaft 23, journalled in suitable bearings carried by the distributing table unit. l

vThe next succeeding unit has abelt 24 rmiining overitv and carried by pulleys ,25, 25 en@ at @ach end of said succeeding nat, each pulley being mounted upon a short shait 26, suitably journalled in certain ot the uprights thereof. The unit over which the belt 24 runs might well be termed the first sorting unit and the balance ot them would be known as the second, third, fourth, etc;

Over the second sorting unit, runs a belt 27 mounted upon pulleys 28, 28 one at each end of the unit, each of said pulleys being` mounted upon a short shaft 29, suitably journalled in certain ofthe uprights in the second sorting unit,

One pulley oi each unit is an idler, as indicated by the numerals 22', 25 and 28', while the other' pulley ot each unit is a driver as the one indicated by the numerals 22, 25 and 28, and the shaft of each driving pulley receives its motion trom a suitable source oi' power through the medium of a. sprocket 30, or its equivalent mounted on its shaft, as 26, and from which runs a chain 3l also engaging another sprocket 32 mounted on a power shaft 33 provided with a pulley 34, or other equivalent means, by which motion may be transmitted to the power shaft 33, from a suitable prime mover. lt is to be understood that there is a power shaft at each end of the machine for driving alternate belts, and in any well known manner, the driving pulleys at one end of the machine, operate in a reverse direction to those at the outer end of the machine, so that said alternate belts move in opposite directions. i

To one or both ot the beams 2O associated` with the distributing unit or table are secured guide panels 3:3 by means of suitable fastening devices 36 so as to depend from the beams with their lower edges in close proX- imity to the surface ot the belt 21.

Said guide panels are arranged obliquely to the path ot travel of the belt and extend from the inner edge oit the belt outwardly toward the opposite or outer edge of the belt and in a direction opposite to the path oi travel of said belt with the outer or tree ends ot the preceding panels terminating short oi' the succeeding panels so that objects on the belt adjacent the inner edge thereof will contact with a panel prior to such objects on other parts or" the belt, thus distributing said objects to the several distributinglanes or courses 37 formed between the panels.

To the beams 2O of the first sorting unit are secured stationary barriers 38 in suitable spaced relation by means ot' fastening devices 39 so that said barriers depend trom the beams with their lower edges in close proximity to the belt 24.

These barriers are also in the form of panels and are arranged obliquely to the path oi' travel of the belt and extend entirely across said belt projecting` from the edge adjacent the distributing unit in the general direction orp the travel of the belt to the opposite edge ot the latter.

Between the barriers 38 are located parallel partial barriers 40 also in the form of panels, and these partial barriers are dependably 'fastened to adjustable beams 41, the partial barriers being suitably cut out so as to pass about the beams 20 and tor connection to the beams 41 to which they are secured by fastening devices 42. The adjustable beams 4l are slidably mounted over up-standing bolts 43 and held in different adjusted positions by means of nuts 44 and 45 which have threaded engagement with the bolts, and which latter are suitably mounted on the cross pieces. By adjusting the beams 41 up or down, the spaces between the lower edges ot the partial barriers 40 and the belt may be varied.

Adjacent barriers and partial barriers form lanes or courses, one set o't'which will be termed common lanes and designated by 'the numeral 46 and the other set will be termed unsound berry lanes and designated by the numeral 47, and adjacent ones of these lanes are in communication through the spaces beneath the partial. barriers and the common lanes are in communication with the distributing channels 37, the unsound barrier channels being blocked from the distributing channels by walls 48.

At the other end of the lanes or courses 46 and 47, they communicate with similar lanes or courses ot the next succeeding sorting unit, and in said succeeding unit, the panels or barriers are arranged obliquely, but at an angle opposite to those of the preceding ones and so on, throughout the entire machine so that the berry lanes or courses are ot' Zig-Zag formation.

As betere stated, the barriers of the iii-st sorting unit run the entire width of the belt, but in the succeeding units, these panels are so arranged that their forward ends terminate short of the edge ot' the adjacent edge ot the belt ,and to said 'forward ends of the stationary barriers is secured a Stringer 49 so as to provide between it and a side of the trame, an unsound berry channel 50, which runs longitudinally ot the belt to one end ot the machine. There is one ot these channels between all adjacent sorting units, but not between the distributing unit and the first sorting unit. These channels are in communication with the unsound berry lanes or courses, but the common berry lanes or courses ot' adjacent units are in direct communication through the medium ot bridges 5l which span the channels 50 so that berries traveling through the common lanes ot one sorting unit will pass over a bridge and into the common lanes ot the succeeding sorting unit and said berries are caused to travel through these lanes by the action of therbeltsk on which they are resting.

Because et the oblique arrangement of the panels 35 ot the distributing unit and the lil) like arrangement of the be-rries of'the sorting units, any berries placed uponr the belt 21 of the distributing unit will be moved through the distributing courses 37 into the several common berry lanes 461 of the first sorting unit where they will be caused to travel through said common berry lanes by the action of the belt Q4. Duiring the travel of the berries through the common berry lanes, they will be moved, rolled or agitated, so that a number of them and possibly all of them will be brought into contact with the partial barriers 40. When thus brought into contact with the partial barriers, any unsound berries such as those that have rotted or become soft from bruising, or have become spong due to freezing, will be forced beneath or actually pulled by the belt under the partial barrier and into the unsound berry lanes 4:7, but because of the succeeding complete barrier such unsound berries are caused to travel through the unsound berry lanes until they reach the ends where they will drop olf into one of the unsound berry channels 5() and be carried to an end of the machine for any disposition desired. The sound or good berries, and in fact any unsound ones that may not have come in contact with the partial barrier, will be moved along the common berry lanes and due to the ones behind, foremost berries will be forced over the bridges into the common berry lanes of the succeeding sorting unit where the same actions above described will take place. As any number of these sorting units may be used, it is probable that if four or live of such units are provided in a machine, all of the unsound berries will be sorted from the sound ones before the latter reach the separating table over which runs the belt 52 for carrying the berries toward a chute 53 by which said berries will be inally guided into suitable receptacle such as a barrel, crate or the like. During the movement of the berries along the belt 52, discolored or unripe ones may be separated from the others by persons standing along one side of the machine.

The unsound berries which drop into the channels are carried toward one end of the machine by the belt on which they drop where they will enter a chute 54 from which they will drop on to a refuse belt 55 and be carried to a dump or other point of disposal. The belt 55 runs over suitable pulleys, one of which is shown at 56 as being mounted on a shaft 57, journalled in suitable bearings carried by the stanchions 58, and on said shaft 57 is a worm gear 59 meshing with a worm wheel 60 fixed to the power shaft 33.

lf found desirable, the cross pieces 19 may be made to overlap as shown in Fig. 6 with a filter 61 between the overlapping ends all of which are fastened together by securing devices 62, such as bolts.

@lf a crop of very large berries is to be sorted, the partial barriers may be adjusted to provide larger spaces between their lower edges and the belts by backing olf the nuts 4.4 and screwing the nuts 45 upwardly on their respective bolts 43, but if the berries are of asmall size, then the nuts are adjusted in a reverse direction which will lower thev adjustable partial barriers and provide smaller spaces l between their lower edges and the bolts.

From the foregoing description, it is to be particularly noted that a large quantityjof berries may be placed upon the distributing belt 2l after which the berries will be automatically distributed to thel several common berry lanes and the unsound ones quickly sorted or removed from the good ones, the latter continuing to a point of proper diss posal while 'the unsound ones are discarded. By the use of such a device, a great deal of handling is eliminated and a greater number of berries can be sorted in a given length of time and at less expense than by the methods now employed. Further, the sorting is more thorough because the appearance of the berry has nothing to do with its removal as an unsound one, the method of sorting depends upon whether or not the berry is soft, spongy or small.

@f course l do not wish to be limited to the Venact details of construction as herein shown,

as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my .f invention, what I claim as new and useful is l. A cranberry separator comprising a plurality of belts, alternate ones of which travel in opposite directions, means to direct berries obliquely cross-wise of said belts, said means including alternate complete and partial barriers, the later being spaced above the belts, the action of said belts causing soft, spongy, unsound berries to pass beneath the partial barriers and separate them from the sound ones, means to convey the unsound berries to a place of disposal, and other means to convey the sound berries to another place of disposal.

2. The structure set forth in claim l, wherein the partial barriers are adjustable to permit of regulating the space between their lower edges and the belts.

3. A cranberry separator comprising a plurality of belts, each succeeding one of which is in a lower plane than the preceding one and alternate ones traveling in opposite directions, common berry lanes disposed obliquely over the belts, unsound berry lanes paralleling` the common berry lanes and arranged in pairs and in communication throughout their length by a passageway of less height than sound berries passing through the separator, the action of the belts causing the berries to pass from the common berry CFI lanes to the other lanes and propelling all of the berries through their respective lanes, channels formed length-Wise of the majority of the belts, bridges over said channels to con- Vey the berries in the common lanes over one belt to the common lanes over another belt, the berries in the unsound berry lanes dropping on to the succeeding belt Within a channel by which they will be conveyed to an end of the separator for disposal and means to convey the sound berries which have passed through the common berry lanes to another point of disposal.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 in connection With means for distributing a quantity ot the berries to the various common lanes.

5. A berry separator 'comprising a plurality of conveying means, alternate ones of which travel in opposite directions, means cacting with the conveying means to cause berries to travel obliquely across said conveying means, and a third means to Vcause unsound berries to separate from the sound ones.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5 in connection with means to feed berries to the second named means and other means to remove the unsound berries after being separated from the sound ones. Y 7. Acranberry separator comprising common berry lanes and unsound berry lanes arranged in pairs, the commonberry lane of each pair being in com munication throughout its length With its respective unsound, berry lane through a restricted space under a party Wall, and means passing` beneath lanes, obliquely thereof to propel berries through said lanes and to dran7 soft, spongy ones through the restricted space from the common berry lane to the other lane.

In testimony whereof, I' have hereunto at fixed my signature.

DAVID E. APPLEGATE. 

